Children's Books in Translation That Offer More Than a Familiar Formula

Sally Jones, a gorilla who works as a ship’s engineer, tells her own story in writing. When her captain is accused of murder, the search for evidence turns into a voyage. Try it with a reader who likes mystery plots but also wants to spend time with the people and working places along the way. Translated from Swedish by Peter Graves.

Tiuri interrupts the vigil that is meant to make him a knight when someone asks for help. That choice sends him on a ride with a letter to deliver. The journey has the shape of a quest, but the obligation that sets it in motion comes from breaking a rule. Translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson.

A hat that turns ordinary things into something unexpected gives the Moomins their next adventure. The family and its visitors make room for odd interruptions and new arrivals. Start here for a fantasy that likes a comfortable home as much as it likes upsetting the plans of everyone in it. Translated from Swedish by Elizabeth Portch.

Pippi can lift a horse and sees no reason to organize her home around what an adult would expect. Tommy and Annika give a reader someone to watch her with. The strongest scenes start with an ordinary appointment or visit and let Pippi’s logic turn it into something else. Translated from Swedish by Tiina Nunnally.

Kiki moves away to begin work as a witch. Since flying is a skill people in the town can use, deliveries give her a way to meet them and a reason to learn how the town works. The jobs provide short adventures that add up to a story about finding a place on your own terms. Translated from Japanese by Emily Balistrieri.

The gray men persuade people to save time until no one seems to have any. Momo sees what that change does to her friends. A child whose gift is listening turns out to be a good person to follow through a fantasy about why a conversation can be worth the time it takes. Translated from German by Lucas Zwirner.

Nicholas tells stories about school, home, and his friends with great confidence in his own account of what happened. Sempé’s drawings give another way to see what went on around him. The short episodes work well aloud because the voice is often funniest when Nicholas thinks he is being perfectly reasonable. Translated from French by Anthea Bell.

Someone has taken a squirrel’s nuts. Detective Gordon is happy to think things over with a piece of cake, while Buffy can move quickly and get a closer look. The two have different ways of helping with the case, which makes this an inviting first mystery to puzzle through together. Translated from Swedish by Julia Marshall.

At 127 years old, the little witch is still too young to join her elders at their celebration. Her effort to become a good witch depends on how she understands the word good. A series of smaller adventures gives younger readers a chance to work out the difference for themselves. Translated from German by Anthea Bell.

A traveling parent tells a story over the telephone, which gives these tales a reason to be short. Rodari uses that space to ask what would happen if one familiar thing worked differently. A good pick for reading one story at a time and talking about the rule it invents. Translated from Italian by Antony Shugaar.

After her father’s death, Sunflower is taken in by a family in a rural village. Her friendship with Bronze grows through things they do for each other as well as through the moments they share. The book gives a reader time to notice those small acts before moving to the next difficulty. Translated from Chinese by Helen Wang.

Juan spends the summer at his uncle’s house after his parents separate. Books in the house move around and respond to their readers, leaving Juan with one elusive book to find. The library makes an adventure out of the feeling that a book can choose the moment you are ready for it. Translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel.

Animals keep a sick king alive by telling him stories while help is on its way. That frame gives each tale an audience inside the book. It also gives a family an easy place to stop when reading aloud, with a reason to come back the next night. Translated from Dutch by Gillian Hume and Paul Biegel.

Sprout leaves the farmyard because she wants to hatch an egg of her own. The short fable moves quickly, but choices about care and belonging give it much to talk about afterward. Try it with an older child comfortable with an animal story that makes room for loss. Translated from Korean by Chi-Young Kim.

Astrid knows the village well enough to go fast down its hills and stir things up with the adults who live there. Her friendship with Gunnvald changes as she realizes there are pieces of his life she has never heard about. It’s a good choice for readers who like characters with high energy and friendships with room to change. Translated from Norwegian by Guy Puzey.